This took the form of a media tour, allowing girls to articulate their concerns and seek meaningful changes in their lives.

One of the most pressing issues raised by these girls was the affordability of sanitary pads.

They urged the government to eliminate the tax on these essential items, making them more accessible to all girls.

The burden of purchasing sanitary pads often falls on their families, and the tax reduction would significantly alleviate their financial strain.

The girls appealed to employers to consider providing female employees with days off when they are menstruating.

This progressive step would not only enhance the physical well-being of girls and women but also empower them to be more productive and confident in their workplaces.

A Gender and Influencing Specialist at Plan International Ghana, Esenam Ahiadorme, stressed the importance of investing in the education and growth of girls.

She emphasised the need to discard harmful superstitions that hinder the development of the girl child.

This call to action is aimed at creating an enabling environment for girls to thrive, contribute to society, and reach their full potential.

The media tour organised by Plan International Ghana represents a significant step towards elevating the voices of young girls and advocating for their rights.

It is a testament to the organization’s commitment to empowering girls and fostering positive change in the lives of future leaders.

Her visit to the school located in the Shai Osudoku district of the Greater Accra Region was to, among other reasons, extend help to the students, especially the girls and talk to them about the importance of education.

The host of Joy News’ ‘Let’s Talk Showbiz’ observed with worry the challenges facing students, a situation that prevents them from accessing quality education, feeding and infrastructure.

She, therefore, called on organisations and philanthropists to support girls in schools located in rural areas.

“Some of us complain daily about the hardship in Accra, Kumasi and major cities across the country. But from what I observed during my visit to the school, I realised that people in rural areas are mostly sidelined and left out in terms of development.

“I believe there is more to be done to support the Luom Presbyterian School, for instance, because they lack almost everything a school needs to thrive. The girls here lack sanitary products, among others.

“This should be a wakeup call to stakeholders and I hope my visit here would highlight their challenges,” Doreen Avio told MyJoyOnline.com in an interview.

The International Day of the Girl Child is observed globally on every October 11. The observation supports more opportunities for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based on their gender.

This inequality includes areas such as access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care and protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage.

Through her Doreen Avio Foundation, the host of #MatterDey on Hitz FM partnered with the School Support Programme (SSP) to engage the JHS 3 pupils ahead of their Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).

She also interacted with the headmaster and his deputy to find out some of the challenges of the school, which include desks for their classrooms, washrooms and lack of transportation for students who travel long distances to access education.

Later in the day, the students gathered under a shed for the talk.

Doreen Avio also used the opportunity to educate the students on the importance of education and encouraged them to take their studies seriously.

She also advised them to stay away from sexually-related activities and focus more on their books since most of the students were in adolescent age.

The students, who were so excited about the conversations, asked pertinent questions about how they could achieve academic excellence, among others.

In a lovely fashion, Doreen and the school children had some refreshments after which there was a distribution of sanitary pads for the girls amid the skyrocketing prices of the products on the market.

The teachers and students expressed profuse delight in the kind gesture shown by Doreen Avio. They asked that she visits them more often and also called on organisations to also support them.

Below are more photos from the visit:

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